Self-Learning Building Management System Used in 8 Buildings

An Italian company Selex ES has worked with Columbia University and New York City-based Rudin Management to create a self-learning building and energy management system – Digital Building Operating System (Di-BOSS).

John Gilbert, chief operating officer and EVP with Rudin Management, said DiBOSS is installed in eight of Rudin’s buildings, totaling roughly six million square feet. Gilbert said the self-learning building management system is saving the company from $.50 to $1.00 per square foot, and the payback ranges from seven to 12 months.

DiBOSS uses machine-learning algorithms to forecast how the building should be operated under specific conditions. DiBOSS provides real-time continuous feedback from all subsystems in a building – power, HVAC, ventilation, lighting, security and elevators as well as weather data – while tracking building occupancy. This information gives building managers data to improve operating efficiency.

“It is unique because it is a true operating system, not just an energy management system,” said Gilbert, “and it uses machine leaning algorithms so the building actually remembers and learns from the days and weeks prior.”

A new iteration, DiBOSS-MF, is currently in prototype. It integrates Intel Gateway Solutions, making it feasible for multifamily residences and smaller commercial buildings.

An article in Capital New York said one thing Di-BOSS has learned is that building temperatures go down when people vacate the building due to their own body temperatures. Now, Di-BOSS also adjusts for occupancy changes in temperature.

Selex is selling Di-BOSS globally and installing it in buildings in Rome, Genoa and Great Britain.